1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for storing a supply of liquid such as ink and dispensing the liquid in a uniform flow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses a variety of applicator devices for storing a supply of liquid such as ink and for applying the liquid to an absorbent surface, for example an ink stamp pad, in order to saturate and fill the pad. In one conventional applicator, the ink is stored in a rigid bottle and may be applied to the ink pad surface by an eyedroplet conduit attached to the bottle. The eyedroplet applicator is not very suitable for use in saturating an ink stamp pad because the process is slow and inefficient, and the applicator tends to clog over a period of time.
In another ink applicator disclosed in the prior art, a squeezable bottle is provided for storing a supply of ink and the ink is dispensed through a ball and socket roll-on type applicator secured to one end. Ball and socket applicators have the disadvantage that the ball must be fitted to the socket within a narrow tolerance. The tolerance between ball and socket must be specifically tailored to the viscosity and fluid properties of the liquid. Even if the ball is fitted properly within the socket, there is a tendency for the movement of the ball to either loosen or tighten significantly upon prolonged use of the applicator. If the movement of the ball in the socket is too loose, the applicator leaks, and the user has difficulty in applying uniform coatings of ink onto the desired surface. If the movement of the ball in the socket is too tight, the user has difficulty in squeezing ink from the bottle. Also ink has a tendency to dry on the ball's surface and within the socket, thus retarding free movement of the ball during the next application. In view of these inherent difficulties, applicators of this type are unsuitable for ink service.
Another variety of squeezable applicator bottles described in the prior art includes a squeegee composed of a porous plastic foam material, for example polystyrene foam, attached to an open end of a squeezable supply bottle. Applicators of this type are in common use as liquid shoe polish dispensers. The squeegee-type applicator is expensive to manufacture and generally durable. As the user squeezes the supply bottle, liquid saturates the squeegee. The liquid is then applied to a surface by stroking the surface with the saturated squeegee. One serious problem encountered with the squeegee-type applicator is that the liquid absorbed into the squeegee cannot be made to completely return to the squeezable supply bottle when the user releases the bottle. Since ink leaves a solid residue on drying, if ink were used as the dispensing liquid it would dry and cake quickly within the squeegee pores thus making it difficult or impossible to dispense ink properly in a later application.
Designs employing a porous plastic nib are disclosed in the prior art for use in connection with writing implements and are generally unsuitable for use in dispensing larger quantities of ink. For example, writing implements may be composed of a porous nib connected to a felt or porous plastic ink reservoir. A writing implement of this type is disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 208,604, filed Nov. 20, 1980 commonly assigned with the present application. Such writing implements are designed to permit only a tiny flow of ink from the ink reservoir to the nib during writing. Therefore, designs having a writing nib connected to a felt or porous reservoir are unsuitable for the intended service of saturating an ink stamp pad or other services where significant quantities of ink must be dispensed.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device permitting the quick dispensing of liquid in even coats therefrom to uniformly coat and saturate an absorbent material such as an ink stamp pad.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device for dispensing of liquid such as ink which device will provide continued service without clogging or caking by the liquid to be dispensed.
A further object is to provide a device for dispensing liquid which is easily operable, and provides prolonged trouble-free service.